Monthly Archives: July 2018
Facelift Of 2019 Audi TTS Leaked
We all know that Audi has been working on an upgraded version of the TT RS, but we were not sure that there will be some tweaks on the lower trim levels too. The leaked images from Autoblog of the mid-level Audi TTS showed that it will get revised front and rear fascias. Does it mean that we’ll see a whole new look for the lower trim TTS?
Up front, the most recognizable difference is the new grille insert. It now houses a mesh of oval-shaped openings instead of the multitude of slates we have seen in the regular models. Another element that has been changed is the addition of large silver scoops, which blend to the silver chin spoiler, to the outboard grilles.
At the back, the Audi TTS now have a pair of vents placed below the taillights. The crease that separates the bumper section now blends into the edges of the vents and the rear diffuser has been restyled, though it remains to have the same size as the current model. To add more shape to the car and better emphasize the changes in the diffuser section, Audi also added new silver accents. These also create a more unified and dynamic look as they blend with the silver-accented front fascia.
The leaked photos are official images from Audi, which gives us a slight hint when we will see the launching of this upgraded Audi TTS. Perhaps, during an auto show this fall? Based on what we have seen on the leaked photos, everything is superficial for now, which means we’re not expecting any earth-shattering changes for the interior and the powertrains.
Just like the TT RS we have seen testing, there’s a good chance that Audi will give this TTS a few more horsepower. Of course, any tweaks mean an increase in price and probably, availability? Let’s find out soon.
3 Things We Should Expect From The 2019 Volkswagen T-Roc GTI
Rendering of the Volkswagen T-Roc GTI by X-Tomi Design.
It’s rare to see an automaker come up with a performance version of a compact crossover SUV. It’s unusual in this certain segment, but Volkswagen may like the challenge of this idea. The T-Roc was launched in 2017, becoming the smallest crossover in VW’s lineup.
With the likes of the Nissan Juke, Toyota C-HR, and Renault Captur. A beefed-up version of the T-Roc was spotted testing on public roads, and it confirmed suspicions that VW is gearing to create a whole new market for performance-oriented compact crossovers.
1. Exterior
The T-Roc R-Line has a sporty appearance, so we think that the GTI will be loosely based on that exterior. It adds, among others, horizontal slats to the bumper grille, splitter-like elements up front, sports black wheel arch extensions, body-colored side skirts, new wheels, and the trademark red stripe across the grille.
The bumper will be taller and will give the GTI a more planted look. The sides will feature the usual black window trim, side skirt extensions, and a fancier set of wheels.
2. Interior
The T-Roc’s interior will be a little cramped, of course. This is a compact crossover, after all. It would have a premium feel all throughout the cabin, though—from the dashboard to the comfortable seats to the infotainment system. Some upgrades the GTI could bring are turning the colored inserts and the paddle shifters red since it’s the traditional GTI color.
The steering wheel is expected to have a more aggressive design with red accents. The standard seats will be replaced with sportier units with heavier bolstering and maybe even integrated headrests. The standard T-Roc comes with a 6.5-inch infotainment screen but the GTI will likely have the 8-inch version. This will come with a CD player, Discover Media, and a navigation system. The 11.7-inch instrument cluster will display a ton of information—drivetrain info, phone apps, and a media library.
3. Performance
The Golf GTI uses a turbocharged four-pot engine that produces 217 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. the T-Roc GTI could use the same engine with the same output. Currently, the range-topping T-Roc gets 187 horses and236 pound-feet of torque, so the increase of 30 ponies and 20 pound-feet makes sense.
Tesla Reveals Model 3 Performance Prices, Specs
Tesla just unveiled new details about the performance variant of the Tesla Model 3. Tweets from both Tesla CEO Elon Musk and the company itself claimed that the fastest version of the compact sedan will offer BMW M3-beating speed and handling.
According to Musk, the Model 3 Performance will be “15% quicker & with better handling” than BMW’s M3. It boasts that it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and it has a top speed of 155 mph. The boldest claim from Tesla? The new Model 3 Performance will “beat anything in its class on the track.”
The company has not released the official power output for the car yet, but the Model 3 will use a dual motor setup—one powering each axle and running individually from the other. This means that if the other motor breaks, the car would still be drivable, thanks to the other motor.
The claimed range is 310 miles, but it will be possible to have 170 miles more in 30 minutes, thanks to Tesla’s Superchargers. Model S owners will get that for free, but Model 3 drivers would have to pay for that service.
On the outside, the Model 3 Performance will get the larger set of 20-inch wheels and they will house upgraded brakes. There’s also a carbon fiber lip spoiler that will improve the car’s rear downforce, but no official figures have been released yet.
Inside, the Model 3 Performance has a single 15-inch touchscreen that features live traffic updates and over-the-air updates. The seats are heated and they are trimmed in black and white leather. A panoramic glass roof will also come as standard.
The Model 3 Performance will have a starting price of $78,000, excluding the Autopilot system. production of the Model 3s will begin in 2019.
Lamborghini Recalls The Aventador, Veneno, Centenario
You’d think that if you paid millions of dollars for a sports car, it won’t bring you any problem? Well, that’s not the case with luxury carmaker Lamborghini as it issues a recall to about 1,700 Aventador coupes and roadsters. There should be also a recall for the handful of Veneno and Centenario, special variations of the Aventador, owners in the United States.
The Italian automaker has discovered a gearbox issue that could lead to an engine stall. The seven-speed transmission gearbox in the Aventador could automatically downshift while the engine is already at a low point in the rev range. As a result, an engine stall could not happen and this is not a safe situation if the car is still moving, of course.
The recall will affect all 1,700 models of Aventador sold in the United States between 2012 and 2018. Yes, even newly-bought ones this year would have to be recalled because the safety issue affects all Aventador models.
There are only a handful of Veneno and Centenario owners in the United States but we can only imagine how the recall would affect the ultra rich. This is actually the second time that such a notice would be sent to this handful of owners. There was already a past issue involving a label displaying incorrect gross vehicle weight rating and it had to be rectified. But that issue is trivial compared to this one. The only thing Lamborghini had to do back then was to replace a wrong label with the right one.
The Italian automaker, however, is making us believe this one is an easy fix, too. Apparently, all Lamborghini owners have to do is bring their Aventador and its spinoffs to their local dealer to have the engine management software updated. After that, there won’t be any problems with the powerful 6.5-liter V12 engine anymore.
More Standard Equipment Added To The 2019 Dodge Durango
Dodge wants the elderly Durango to continue being relevant in this age of crossover SUVs and luxury pickup trucks. For the 2019 model year, the company decided to fit the Durango with a slew of new standard features. It didn’t have to be much because the Durango has a strong and loyal following.
For the exterior, the Dodge Durango can be equipped with new wheels and there are a total of 11 colors you can choose from, including three all-new finishes—Destroyer Gray, F8 Green, and Reactor Blue.
Entry-Level Durango SXT
The entry-level Durango SXT now has an option for leather upholstery, and coming standard for the cabin is the Uconnect 4 infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen. It comes also with Keyless Enter ‘n Go, push-button start and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
Durango GT
The Durango GT got an all-new front end similar to the likes of the R/T and the SRT. The GT model is also getting LED running lights, the looks of the performance models, and the optional hood with air intake and hot air extractors. It is equipped with the same V6 engine found in the SXT. It can produce 295 horses.
Durango Citadel
There’s more standard equipment for the Durango Citadel such as the second-row captain chairs and the option for the 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and a V8 engine that can produce 360 horses and 390 pound-feet of torque. Standard to the Citadel, though, is the V6 engine.
Durango Sporty R/T And SRT
Durango’s top-of-the-line R/T and SRT got their new equipment, too. The SRT has optional red seat belts, high-performance Brembo brakes with two-piece rotors, and 825-watt, 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. More personalization options include 20-inch wheels in Matte Vapor or Brass Monkey finish.
The SRT is the quickest three-row SUV out there. It has a 6.4-liter V8 engine that produces 475 horsepower and can go 0 to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds.
Bentley Commemorates Founder With Mulsanne W.O. Edition By Mulliner
This will be a year of celebration for Bentley as it commemorates the 100th year since the company’s conception. The celebration started on July 10 and will last throughout the year. The event will be highlighted by the coming of the Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner, which will be limited to only 100 units around the world.
The sedan, which will be available in standard, long wheelbase, and Speed versions, celebrates Bentley founder Walter Owen Bentley and his 1930 8 Litre, the founder’s personal car. The 8 Litre was the last vehicle Bentley designed for the luxury automaker and the second example off the production line. The classic car wore a coach-built body from Henry Jervis Mulliner & Co., the same company that personalizes Bentley cars until this very day.
Walter Owen was not able to enjoy the fruits of his labor and the “ultimate expression of automotive engineering” because financial troubles forced him to sell the company in 1931. In 2006, Bentley bought the 8 Litre and immediately gone through the process of restoration. This means replacing the crankshaft, which is the central feature of the Mulsanne W.O. Edition.
What happened to the old crankshaft? Bentley cut it into 100 pieces and each will be placed inside a custom, illuminated cocktail cabinet that’s located in the rear quarters of the 100 special Mulsanne units. The glass display will be framed by four different kinds of wood and aluminum that create a marquetry scene.
The special edition will also get Heritage Hides in Fireglow with Beluga details and stitching, Dark Stain Burr Walnute veneers, and Fireglow lambswool carpets. The exterior is painted in onyx and features a chrome hood strip, optional chrome grille and surround, and discrete special edition badging. There will also be Beluga Back wheels.
The best thing about owning this car, aside from it being a special edition, is that customers can have their W.O. Edition Mulsannes customized.
The Mulsanne W.O. Edition by Mulliner will be unveiled at the Monterey Car Week in August.
Noble M500 Gets Introduced With 550HP
Since 2010, British sports car manufacturer Noble has been making one car only—the M600. But at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, the automaker has introduced an all-new concept in the form of the Noble M500. It has a fiberglass body and packs in the powerful twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine.
The M500 is only a concept car for now, and the car that was showcased during the festival is still in early development, so the actual production car might not be launched until 2019. It was reported that the M500 will have a rear-wheel-drive system with a fiberglass body and a direct-shift dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Under the hood, the powerful twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 engine can produce 550 horsepower. The engine comes from the same family of engines that are in the Radical RXC Turbo, Ford F-150 and Ford GT. There’s a difference in power, though, since the GT produces 647 horses. The figure also leaves a 110hp gap between the M500 and the M600.
Unlike the M600 which is made with a carbon fiber body, the M500 will use fiberglass for its frame. It will put it at par with the M600’s 2,756 pounds of weight, though the M500 will likely be heavier as it focuses on being more of a comfortable daily car.
Noble is positioning the M500 to be more of a daily car than the M600. It will also be priced lower so that it can bring in more volume and customers.
Noble company director Peter Boutwood was responsible for the design of the M500, which is really a step up from the M600. The company moved away from the squarer design of the M600 and follows other modern supercars with a slippery shape and flying buttresses.
The car isn’t expected to be in production until well into 2019 and pricing hasn’t even been set yet. But based on Noble’s decision to lower the price of the M500, it should be way below the M600’s $272,000 price.
2020 Toyota Supra Makes a ‘Dynamic Debut’ At Goodwood Festival of Speed
Toyota finally unveiled in a kind of “dynamic debut” fashion its 2020 Supra at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. By “dynamic,” Toyota meant that what they have shown at the festival was the production version of the car, but it’s still covered with camouflage.
Chief engineer Tetsuya Tada and master driver Herwig Daenens sprinted the Supra up the famed hill climb. The Supra is cloaked in red, white, and black camo, which comes from Toyota Gazoo Racing. These are the same colors used on the 24 Hour of Le Mans-winning TS050 Hybrid LMP1 racer sports.
The next-generation A90 Supra will remain true to its predecessors as the Japanese automaker confirmed that it will use an inline-6 engine and rear-wheel-drive layout. The standard Supra should come with BMW’s 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and a likely hybrid version should come with more power. There’s still no word on whether a manual transmission will be developed for the car.
The Supra’s development is tied with that of the BMW Z4, but Toyota was very clear on its mission to distinguish the Supra from the German car. Tada said that the two cars will offer completely different driving experiences and even their shared hardware will have dissimilar configurations.
To sooth the ego of Supra fans, Toyota also asked for their opinions and suggestions on how to develop this next-generation Supra.
Interior
The spy shots of the Supra’s interior were published by Motor1 also. The last time we took a peek inside its cabin was in April and back then, we only saw its instrument cluster and steering wheel. This time, we are given a good sense of what the interior will look like.
The dashboard does not have the same wraparound effect but occupants will still sit lower in the car. There’s a wide infotainment screen on top of the center stack and a second screen is possible given that there’s still space for it. The shots make us think that the Supra will have a smaller cabin than what was originally planned, but let’s just wait and see.
Toyota said that the car will be on sale in the first half of 2019, meaning the full reveal is six months away from today.
2019 Subaru Legacy, Outback Get Price Increase And More Features
The 2019 Subaru Legacy and Outback will be priced higher than the previous generations. Like the Subaru Impreza, the price increase also gets a slew of new updates including the EyeSight that will be made standard on every single version of the two models.
The base model Legacy 2.5i now has a price tag of $23,430, an increase of $375 over the 2018 model year while the Outback’s starting price would be $27,320, which is up by $510 from the previous generation. The prices include destination charges. All variants will get price increases, except for the Legacy 3.6R Limited and Outback 3.6R Limited, both of which experienced a slight drop in prices.
The price increase is being compensated by a number of new features both for the Legacy and the Outback. For one, both models will be fitted with the EyeSight feature. The base trims will have the EyeSight as well. The EyeSight includes a suite of driver safety aids such as automatic forward emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist.
On the 2018 Legacy, the EyeSight was not made available on the base model and was only an option for the other trims. On the 2018 Outback, it came standard only on the 2.5i Touring and 3.6R Touring, and was an option for the Premium, Limited, and 3.6R Limited trims. The feature was not available even as an option on the 2.5i.
Aside from the EyeSight feature, the 2019 Legacy 2.5i Sport will also get as standard the blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert features.
There are limited interior updates on both the Legacy and the Outback. All models will get an instrument panel that includes a 5-inch LCD display while the 2.5i trim gets extra lighting and a pair of front USB ports. Standard to the Premium and Limited trims are the auto-dimming mirror with compass and Homelink garage door opening button.
Both of the models will be available starting this summer, so you should be expecting them in dealerships soon.
BMW Starts Production Of 8 Series
The range-topping, two-door BMW 8 Series has finally entered production, and the German automaker revealed the prices for the coupe. The car will be manufactured in the car’s Dingolfing, Germany plant, which BMW spent hundreds of millions of Euros to update.
The plant is spruced up to include more automated processes to make the production of the cars more efficient. It installed autonomous tugger trains that can carry door assembly parts to the line while robots check for gaps and misalignments on the finish line.
The new 2019 BMW 8 Series coupe is fitted with a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine that makes 523 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel-drive system that has a rear-wheel bias. The German automaker said it can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds. It has a top speed of 155 mph.
The total curb weight of the coupe is 4,478 pounds and this is made possible by a number of lightweight materials, including steel, plastic, aluminum, and carbon fiber. These are used throughout the body while the roof, doors, front firewall, and supporting structures are made of aluminum. Owners can also opt for the roof to be made of carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, which is a first in a series-production BMW model.
Standard to the new 8 Series will be full LED headlights with laser light technology, special leather upholstery, a 16-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, Adaptive M Suspension with active-roll stabilization, M Sport brakes, and park assist. Owners, however, will be able to opt for the following: an upgraded Bowers & Wilkins Diamond surround sound system and glass controls for the gear selector.
The BMW 8 Series will enter the production stage with the 5 Series and the 7 Series. When it launches, it will be available in the M850i xDrive trim. Prices for the model will have a starting price tag of $112,895.